You hear all the time about the awful details of divorces. Whether it’s friends gossiping together about the divorces of other friends or gossip magazines revealing (or making up) details about celebrity divorces, it definitely feels like the whole of society is dead certain divorce is absolutely awful all the time.

I want to push back on this, so with the permission of my lovely ex-wife, I’m going to share my story.

Sarah and I got divorced two years ago. We were married for six years. We’re still really good friends. We hang out. We meet up at parties and we chat. Sarah’s quite close to my fiance Clare, and I like her new boyfriend pretty well.

How did this happen?

Well, let me start at the beginning. Sarah and I got married right out of college. We dated from the middle of junior year all through senior year. We finished school at the same time, we both wanted the same sort of things (or so we thought), and it just seemed to make sense. I look back on it now through the lens of Clare, and I see that we were probably just comfortable and we wanted someone there as we looked to take on the big scary responsibilities in life.

We got married that autumn without a lot of wedding drama. We were moderately happy for a couple years, then not happy for a couple more, then miserable for the last two.

We ended up not wanting the same things in life. I decided I didn’t want to be a lawyer (which had always been part of our long-term plans). I got a great job near home (we live in Texas) in the natural gas field, and I loved it. Sarah decided she wanted to go back to school, and that eventually, she wanted to move out to the coast. Basically, I was ready to settle down and start thinking about a family, and Sarah wanted to start over.

When we decided to get divorced, it came as a relief to both of us. We often laugh about how neither of us can remember who brought the topic up. We just had an “oh yeah,” epiphany sort of moment. Once it was out there, it was really quick and painless. We had an uncontested divorce, which you can read about at this law site if you don’t know what it means. And then we weren’t married anymore. Aside from some early awkwardness, everything has been fine between us.

So, there you have it. Not every divorce is awful for either or both parties. It’s worked out well for Sarah and me. I bet a lot of people out there have similar stories.

By the way, Sarah’s starting school next year, and she’s moving to the coast. Good for her!

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I hate bicyclists. I’ve always hated them. And now, I have a huge extra big reason to feel that way because one just ran into my car, and the guy is threatening to sue.

Look, bikes are useless. After the age of maybe twelve, they should be retired. We should treat bikes like we treat Halloween, a real gas for kids but anyone over a certain age has no business getting involved.

That’s how it should be, and yet I see more and more of these people (adults, mind you), clogging up the city streets on their two wheels. They’re a menace. They slow down traffic. They take up the central part of the lane so no one can get past. They don’t pay attention. They often ignore traffic signs and just fly right through. They’re a danger to themselves and to others.

I can’t imagine how many accidents take place because cars have to stop suddenly when a guy on a bike decides he wants to stop at the hipster fancy mustache shop and so he makes a sudden left into traffic. I don’t know the number, but I’m going to assume it’s high.

So this guy hit me. I don’t know if he was going to do a mustache shop. He did have a mustache, though.

I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let me set the scene. I was driving home two nights ago. It was after dark because I got out of work late. We have a big project due soon, and I’m stressed and not sleeping well, but that’s neither here nor there.

I was driving home, and this guy who wasn’t wearing a helmet and was wearing dark clothes zoomed out in front of me. I slowed down appropriately, I sat behind him doing ten miles an hour in a 35, waiting for him to get over to the side or turn onto another street. I wasted several long minutes of my life indulging his exercise routine.

During those minutes, he went through at least two stop signs. He’d lightly touch his breaks, look both ways and fly through.

Well, at sign number three, he decided for some reason to stop completely, despite the fact there were no other cars coming. I wasn’t expecting this, so my bumper kissed his back tire.

He flew off his bike dramatically, and got up and started beating on my car. He said he’d sue and demanded my information, which I gave.

Now, I’m finding out he may actually have a case. Apparently, he’s not required to wear a helmet, and I’ll have to prove he wasn’t following all the rules of the road.

What an awful couple of days I’ve had, and it’s only going to get worse. I was contacted today by someone claiming to be this guy’s lawyer. Maybe it was a prank, I hope it was, but I somehow doubt it.

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Serious injury is not something to be taken lightly. Brain and spinal cord injuries are a dangerous game as they can result in permanent damage. The Mayo Clinic says that a “traumatic brain injury occurs, when an external mechanical forces causes brain dysfunction.” Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, typically is caused by a blow to the head or body, the penetration of foreign objects, like bullets, or the penetration of one’s own skull. There are different levels of severity when it comes to brain trauma. A loss of brain cells is at the lower end of the spectrum, and on the other end brain trauma can end up leading to paralysis and even death.

Sometimes, these injuries come about through no fault of your own. You can do nothing wrong in a given situation, and still walk out with a blunt force to your skull causing a traumatic brain injury that makes it difficult for you to return to work. Williams Kherkher categorizes brain and spinal cord injuries as “catastrophic accidents.” The reason for this terminology is the long-term, effects these injuries can cause.

Dealing with a traumatic brain injury is troublesome enough, without having to worry about compensation and legal terminology. After a serious injury, recovery is the most important thing. Not to mention the burden of returning work, caring for your family, and dealing with medical bills. If you want to file a lawsuit against the perpetrator of your serious injury, it can often be too much of a load to handle a lawsuit on top of your intense recovery. Whether you want compensation for medical bills, long-term disability from work, or you just want justice to be served there are lawyers ready to be on your side and help you fight.

By hiring a lawyer, you allow yourself to focus on your recovery, rather than the legal jargon. Serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries can be detrimental to your well-being if not treated correctly. Brain and spinal cord injuries have the power to cause paralysis, and other long-lasting to permanent damages and it is important to remember how fragile the nervous system is, and not to take the healing process lightly. It is also unfair to the injured party just to let these types of injuries slide by. When a serious injury takes place, it is unacceptable, and repercussions need to be taken into account.

The window for taking legal action is small, so make sure to act quickly and reach out to law firms for questions you have when determining the best lawyer to get. Frequently asked questions range from asking how much money you can get, how much time you have to act, and all the next steps in your course of action. Serious injuries are a serious matter, and taking legal action might just be your best move. Traumatic brain injuries can alter your life in truly large ways, so don’t let lack of compensation be one of those ways.

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What would be more enchanting and beautiful than having your wedding ceremony and reception aboard an elegant Chicago yacht charter on Lake Michigan with the Chicago Skyline as your backdrop?

You can choose to hold the ceremony dockside or on the water plus there is a complimentary bridal suite available for the bride to get ready before the wedding and, if some guests will not be able make it to the ceremony, then the yacht can go back to the dock to pick them up and then head back out to sea for the reception. Some yachts, by the way, are big and spacious enough to carry up to, or more than, 400 guests.

With regard to your other concerns, such as catering, entertainment, photography and videography, leave everything to your chartered yacht which has in its list the finest catering, entertainment, photography and videography vendors that are guaranteed to provide you with outstanding service to make your wedding a truly perfect event.

An evening wedding ceremony is made more special by a beautiful sunset, the gorgeous views of the city, and a spectacular fireworks display. According to the Anita Dee Yachts, most charter yachts are also equipped with a full-service galley, as well as a state of the art sound system, offering endless cuisine and entertainment possibilities.

Other than your actual wedding ceremony and wedding reception, you can also choose to charter a yacht for other events related to your wedding, such as bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and your post wedding brunch.

Before you charter a yacht for your magical wedding ceremony, however, it is important to make sure that the yacht you charter complies with the guidelines on boating safely set by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division, just to make sure that you and all your guests really get to enjoy your celebration.

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Declaring bankruptcy is inevitably a difficult choice to make. It means giving up your assets when you can no longer afford to continue making payments on your debts or when you are struggling to support yourself or your business. While this likely frustrating and upsetting, it can also be a saving grace, when you are struggling under significant debt. However, before declaring bankruptcy, you must understand the type of bankruptcy that is right for you and your situation. Each of the different forms of bankruptcy applies to different situations and different income levels. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is one of the most common forms of bankruptcy and it has a variety of requirements that you must follow to be eligible. Fortunately, the legal specialists at FindLaw have provided an overview of the pros and cons of choosing Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to cancel any or all of the debts that you are facing. In order to do this, however, you may be forced to liquidate your property and assets in order to repay creditors. This is one of the quickest and simplest forms of bankruptcy available, which is why many people choose this route. In order to qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you must undergo a means test, which indicates the assets that you have available and if you are capable of repaying any amount of your debt. With the help of a Raleigh bankruptcy lawyer, many of the people who wish to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy are capable of effectively doing so. Before you decide to move forward with Chapter 7 bankruptcy, however, it is important to understand the pros and cons of this plan of action. Some of the cons include:

The inclusion of bankruptcy on your credit report for up to 10 years

Loss of property and valuable possessions

Loss of all credit cards

Difficulty acquiring a mortgage

You cannot file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy more than once

Although these negative aspects of bankruptcy may turn many people away, there are also several positives, which can help you and your loved ones, such as:

You receive financial relief within 3-6 months of filing

Lenders cannot take any further collection action

Chapter 7 can relieve even extremely high amounts of debt

Many of the things you own are exempt from being sold during bankruptcy

Over time you may be able to obtain new lines of credit and rebuild your financial standing

This is only a brief overview of the different aspects to consider before filing for bankruptcy. Only an experienced lawyer can truly help you understand your rights and the best course of action to take. Filing for bankruptcy may hurt your pride and your credit, but in the long-term, it can be the right solution to find some relief from serious debt. Your life should not be filled with only financial struggles, and bankruptcy may be able to help.

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In its website, the Suppressed Weapons Systems says it “has reinvented the relationship between the suppressor and rifle making them one piece. Our barrels and suppressors are made from a single piece of billet material; no welding, threading, screwing, attaching etc. We have named this technology the Monolithic Integral Suppressed Barrel. The MISB is quieter, lighter, stronger and reduces recoil better than any other rifle on the market. The MISB can be quickly disassembled for cleaning in the field without the use of any tools.”

In a nutshell, the MISB ensures the following:

Sub MOA accuracy out of the box

Zero chance of baffle strikes

Superior sound suppresion over traditional suppressors

Dissipates heat faster than traditional thread on suppressors

Reduced recoil of up to 40% in large calibers

No impact shift

Serviceable

No increase in back pressure

It requires an enormous amount of force to be able to propel a bullet. This force, however, produces a very loud sound that can damage a person’s hearing. It is because of this that gun enthusiasts are always on the lookout either for a good hearing protection or the most efficient gun suppressor.

The sound a gun makes comes from three different sources:

The gun’s hammer striking the firing pin as the trigger is pulled. This action creates a sharp, metallic sound. Although this is not as ear-crushing as the gunfire itself, it still contributes to the sound a gun makes during each shot.

Expanding gas. As the firing pin strikes the back of a bullet, it hits a primer that triggers the powder propellant inside the bullet’s casing to quickly generate an enormous amount of hot gas. The hot gas creates immense pressure at the back of the bullet, usually at 3,000 pounds per square inch, which pushes the bullet down the barrel. As the gas expands, it creates a sound which can be as loud as 165 decibels, which may cause permanent ear damage.

Bullet coming out of the barrel. The third sound is created when a bullet finally comes out of the barrel and whizzes past a target. It is called a bullet crack. A ballistic crack is so unique that it makes it possible for you to distinguish gunfire from booms created by fireworks, for instance.

To silence a gun, gun owners use suppressors, also called sound suppressors, sound moderators, or silencers. A gun suppressor is a device that is attached to the barrel of a firearm or air gun. It is used to reduce the amount of noise and visible muzzle flash generated by firing. A suppressor, however, is only able to silence the second sound (the sound created by hot gasses). Due to the longer and wider provided by a suppressor, the escaping propellant gas is slowed down plus the hot gas is given more room to dissipate, thus, decreasing the sound created by the pressure.

More efficient in silencing a gun, especially, a rifle, however, is the combination of a suppressor and a barrel. Among the quietest and most accurate integral suppressed rifles on the market available today is the Monolithic Integral Suppressed Barrel (MISB) – this may be the best choice for gun owners of today.

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You can experience personal bankruptcy because of many reasons. Maybe you lost your job or have decreased income. Maybe you have unexpected expenses such as medical bills and property maintenance. Maybe you are just negligent with your credit card use. Whatever the cause may be, it doesn’t change the fact that you are experiencing financial difficulty and considering bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy has a negative reputation, but it shouldn’t be that way, because it can actually be advantageous.

The website of the Bradford Law Offices, PLLC has listed the different kinds of bankruptcy you can file and the benefits of each. For the common folk, there are generally two kinds of bankruptcies available – chapter 7 and chapter 13. They have their own advantages, but below are the general advantages of filing for any kind of bankruptcy.

Automatic stay – If you file for bankruptcy, you will trigger an automatic stay, meaning that your creditors will stop pursuing you for debt collection, including pestering you with phone calls and letters, suing you, and repossessing your properties.

Debt discharge – In bankruptcy, you can also trigger debt discharge, meaning that some of your debts, particularly those that are dischargeable, such as personal loans and utility bills, are forgiven.

Financial flexibility – The most obvious advantage of bankruptcy is that it helps you to recover some of the financial flexibility you have lost because of your debt. This can take on many forms, such as the debt discharge that has been mentioned earlier, and others like payment plan rescheduling and consolidating and reorganizing current debts.

Anti-discrimination – If you are filing for bankruptcy, there is also no need to worry that you will lose your main source of income – your job. This is because your employers are not legally allowed to discriminate against you, even in the aspect of financial situation.

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More than three-fourths of the five millions motor vehicle accidents every year are due to drivers’ fault, based on results of crash analyses by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Driver fault includes drunk-driving, distracted driving, speeding (including driving too fast despite poor road conditions) and reckless driving. Thus, no matter how careful you may be on the road, if another driver acts negligently or carelessly, then an accident may just be imminent

Drivers are not the only ones guilty of negligent and careless acts, though. There are many other individuals who commit these acts and who should be held accountable for some accidents that occur. These include: motor vehicle manufacturers who produce defective vehicles; manufacturers of vehicle parts who use low-quality materials or who do not comply with the safety standard set by the NHTSA on car parts; and, different agencies (including local government agencies) for failing to construct good roads or for failing to keep roads in good condition. Like the fault of millions of drivers, the acts or lack of action of some other individuals are just as dangerous, as these too can cause tragic road accidents.

Defectively-designed roads and highways or poorly-maintained streets directly affect all motorists. These, according to the Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, LTD, may be the fault of the state or a municipality responsible for road design, maintenance, and signage, a construction company that has left the pavement littered with obstacles or debris, or a truck that has left blown out tire treads or fallen cargo on the pavement. These are some of the more common road conditions that cause highway accidents:

Highway defects can cause a driver to lose control of his/her vehicle; it is, therefore, a serious issue that the government should address quickly for failure to deliver the necessary maintenance or intervention can result in destructive accidents.

In the event of an accident, however, naming a government agency in a lawsuit may lead to nothing due to its immunity from any form of liability, unless the issue is gross negligence in maintaining a roadway.

Highway defects can cause even the most careful and conscientious drivers to get into serious, life-threatening accidents. When roads are improperly maintained and drivers are not warned about potentially dangerous areas, car accidents and debilitating injuries are far more likely to occur. This is why law firms believe that the government and the companies responsible for the maintenance of our roadways should be held responsible for any injuries resulting from highway safety hazards.

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Hit and run accidents are ever increasing through the years. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that fatal crashes have increased from 1,274 in 2009 to 1,449 in 2011. In the state of Los Angeles alone, over 28,000 hit-and-run accidents occurred in 2015.

One of the most celebrated hit-and-run accidents is that of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. His involvement in the crash resulted to him being stripped of the light heavyweight belt and serving probation. He was also fined $25,000 for the incident by the UFC. He had several traffic incidents already prior to his hit-and-run arrest.

Hit and run is a felony in the United States. According to the website of the Law Offices of Yvonne M. Fraser, you can be held criminally liable for leaving the scene of an accident that involve property damage or injury without providing contact information to the other driver. This is applicable regardless of who was responsible for the accident. So even if you think that the other driver was responsible for the accident, the law requires you to stop and give your contact information to the other driver before leaving the scene of the accident. Here are some facts about hit and run that you need to know:

1. In a hit and run accident, the liability for damages falls on the victim simply because they carry the minimum coverage, which does not provide coverage for a hit and run.

2. In some cities, the law requires the victim or witness to the accident to identify the driver not just the license number

3. Every US state has a set time limit for charging the fleeing driver in a hit and run accident. This is known as statute of limitations, which ranges from 3 to 10 years. For this reason, the at-fault driver can simply confess without being arrested and charged if the time limit has passed.

4. The only time you will be justified to leave the scene is when you need to seek necessary medical attention for yourself or another individual.

5. You can be charged with a hit and run misdemeanor even if there was no vehicle damage. Under Vehicle Code 20002, fences, mailboxes, or another person’s pet is covered by the law.

6. Under Penal Code 1377, hit and run that involves an accident with property damage can be settled with the victim. If they agree, the at-fault driver can be spared from harsh penalties which include probation or imprisonment.

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It has been said that it takes ten thousand hours of practice in order to be an expert at something. While scientists may debate on that claim for a good long while, something about it is indisputable: it takes a long, long time of practice in order to master anything. And even then, people are fallible and are prone to make mistakes. Such is the case of those whose professions are in the field of medicine.

Since their jobs require for them to dabble with fragile subjects such as that of human beings, there is a lot of risk involved. Before you can even legally practice in the field, there needs to be a sufficient amount of study as well as relevant experience. This can take a lot of time and a lot of investment.

Though the stereotype is that medical professionals are financially well off, the truth of the matter is that there are years and years of hard work as well as working towards building a respectable reputation before that level of stability could be achieved. According to CBS News, “it takes between 11 and 14 years of higher education to become a physician. That means the typical doctor doesn’t earn a full-time salary until 10 years after the typical college graduate starts making money.”

And even then, embarking into this industry is no guarantee of financial paradise. With the complications involved in today’s insurance environment, receiving payouts for services rendered can be an excessively long, arduous process.

Henceforth, there is the Texas Prompt Pay Act in order to protect the compensation rights of these workers. What most people tend to forget is that these medical professionals are also ones who have bills to pay and families to support. According to the website of the prompt pay lawyers at Williams Kherkher, this act was put into place so that these professionals can be ensured just and full compensation for their services from insurance companies. If this compensation is delayed due to unjustifiable reasons then legal action is a viable option.